2014 Subaru Outback

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBURU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE PEDAL GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS NORMAL AND WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE A PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,600.

ZERO OIL PRESSURE (RED) INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED AT SAFE AND PRUDENT OPERATING SPEED. LOW OIL INDICATOR LIGHT (YELLOW) NEVER ILLUMINATED. LIGHT REMAINED ON FOR THREE MILES, ONE AT SPEED 55 MPH TO ZERO AND TWO AT 20 MPH. THEN WENT OUT. INSPECTION OF OIL LEVEL SHOWED LEVEL APPROXIMATELY ONE CENTIMETER ABOVE LOW LEVEL MARKER ON DIPSTICK. ADDITION OF .5 QUART US RAISES LEVEL TO APPROXIMATELY ONE CENTIMETER BELOW FULL LEVEL MARKER ON DIPSTICK. VEHICLE RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP; HAD FULL OIL SERVICE PERFORMED 2,500 MILES AHEAD OF SCHEDULED SERVICE. DEALERSHIP CLAIMS "SENSOR RESISTANCE IS HIGH, WILL R&R." DEALER FAILED TO PROVIDE EMPIRICAL OIL PRESSURE PSI READING DESPITE REQUEST. PART REPLACEMENT YET TO BE DONE. *TR

I PURCHASED MY SUBARU OUTBACK 2014 3.6R LIMITED IN MID DECEMBER 2013, I FELT THAT THE CAR PULLS TO THE RIGHT AFTER I DROVE THE CAR TO HOME, I CANNOT BELIEVE THERE IS ANY PROBLEM WITH A NEW CAR, WITH THAT I KEPT TO DRIVE AND MONITOR IT FOR 2 WEEKS THEN I CONFIRMED THIS IS REALLY AN ISSUE AND IT'S VERY EASY TO REPRODUCE. SO I BROUGHT THE CAR TO MY DEALER, THE TECHNICIAN SPENT HALF A DAY TO FIX, ROTATED TIRE, CHECKED PRESSURE AND CHECKED ALIGNMENT, FINALLY THEY REPLACED 4 BRAND NEW TIRES THEN THEY STATED THAT THE ORIGINAL TIRE IS NOT GOOD, THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED BY REPLACING NEW TIRES AND LET ME DROVE THE CAR BACK. AFTER MORE THAN 3000 MILES DRIVING, THE SAME PROBLEM IS GETTING WORSE AGAIN, SO I WENT TO DEALER AND THEY CONFIRMED THIS IS REPRODUCIBLE, IT'S FUNNY THAT THEY REPLACED 4 NEW TIRES INCLUDING WHEEL HUB THIS TIME AGAIN, HOWEVER THIS ISSUE IS STILL NOT BEEN FIXED, THE TECHNICIAN CALLED SUBARU SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, REPRESENTATIVE SUGGESTED TO LOOSE THE CAP OF SUSPENSION , BOUNCE THE CAR MULTIPLE TIMES THEN INSTALL THEM BACK, TECHNICIAN REPEATED THIS PROCEDURE FOR AT LEAST 2 TIMES, FINALLY THEN MENTIONED THE ALIGNMENT IS WITHIN SPEC, SERVICE ADVISE TOLD ME THE ISSUE IS BEEN FIXED. I DROVE THE CAR FOR 2 WEEKS NOW, I'M STILL FEELING THERE IS SLIGHT PULLING TO RIGHT, AND THE STEERING WHEEL IS KEEPING TURN TO RIGHT BUT NOT BACK TO CENTER. I MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY DEALER TODAY, TECHNICIAN LEAD TESTED THE CAR WITH ME, HE WAS ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM I REPORTED, BUT HE SAID THIS IS NORMAL FOR SUBARU OUTBACK, AND LET ME CALL CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR FURTHER CHECKING. THIS IS SO BAD, I DROVE SO MANY CARS BEFORE BUT NEVER GOT THE SAME ISSUE, AND THIS IS NOT SAFE IF THE CAR CANNOT GO STRAIGHT. *TR

UPON INSPECTING THE TRAILER HITCH AND WIRING LOOM THAT THE RENO, NV, SUBARU DEALER INSTALLED FROM THEIR INVENTORY, THE WIRING LOOM AND CONNECTOR WHICH CONNECTS TO A TRAILER'S LOOM WAS FOUND TO BE HANGING FREELY IN THE WIND. THE TRAILER'S LOOM RUNS BOTH BRAKE LIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS. THE LOOM WAS ATTACHED TO THE TRAILER HITCH WITH A SINGLE PLASTIC WIRING TIE WHICH WENT THRU THE WHOLE IN THE TRAILER HITCH INTENDED FOR THE ATTACHMENT OF THE TRAILER'S SAFETY CHAINS. THE PLASTIC TIE USED WAS OF THE TYPE NORMALLY USED TO HOLD A GROUP OF WIRES TOGETHER. UPON ATTACHING THE SAFETY CHAINS, THE PLASTIC TIE WHICH SUPPORTED THE WIRING LOOM, CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE METAL SAFETY CHAIN HOOK. NOWHERE ON THE HITCH WAS THERE ANY METAL BRACKET TO ATTACH THE WIRING LOOM PLUG TO PREVENT THE LOOM FROM SWINGING IN THE BREEZE. IF THE PLASTIC TIE WERE TO BREAK OR BE WORN THRU BY ABRASION OF THE SAFETY CHAIN HOOK THE WIRING LOOM WOULD DRAG OF THE GROUND AND THE BRAKE AND TAIL LIGHTS ON THE TRAILER WOULD NO LONGER FUNCTION. THE PLASTIC TIE WHICH WAS THE ONLY SUPPORT FOR THE WIRING LOOM AND COULD NOT BE EXPECTED TO WITHSTAND THE ENVIRONMENT CONDITIONS IT WOULD BE SUBJECTED TO LIKE; WIND, RAIN, SNOW, MUD, NOR COULD IT WITHSTAND CONSTANT ABRASION FROM THE SAFETY CHAIN HOOK. THE WIRING LOOM WAS ATTACHED TO THE SAFETY CHAIN BRACKET HOLE 3 OR 4 INCHES FROM THE PLUG WHICH TERMINATED THE LOOM. THIS CREATED A PINCH POINT IN THE WIRING LOOM WHERE IT WAS ATTACHED TO THE SAFETY CHAIN BRACKET. AS THE LOOM WOULD SWING IN THE WIND, THE COPPER WIRES WOULD BE CAUSED TO BEND AT THE PINCH POINT AND BREAK. NORMALLY, A PINCH POINT IS AVOIDED BY FIRMLY ATTACHING THE PLUG AT THE END OF THE WIRING LOOM. THE DEFECTS MENTIONED ABOVE WILL CERTAINLY CAUSE UNEXPECTED BRAKE LIGHT AND TAIL LIGHT FAILURE. THIS PRODUCT SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 40 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE BRAKE PEDAL REQUIRED SEVERAL PUMPS IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE ON A HILL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON MANY OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 1,666. UPDATED 08/11/14*LJ UPDATED 8/30/2017*CN

THIS IS AN UPDATE: DEALER CALLED US TO HAVE [XXX] DRIVE THE CAR WITH A SERVICE TECHNICIAN PRESENT ( TECH NAMED [XXX]) CAR WAS DRIVEN APROX 5-6 MILES WITHOUT INCIDENT ...SYSTEM DID NOT FAULT. DEALER TOLD US THEY HAVE BEEN ON THE PHONE WITH SUBARU TECH CENTER & COMPLETED ALL THE TEST PROCEDURES BUT HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE ANY OF THE BRAKE-CHECK/ ENGINE FAULTS EXPERIENCED 3 ON 5/22 OR 1 ON 5/23/2014. [XXX] SERVICE COORDINATOR IS NOT CERTAIN WHAT ELSE CAN BE DONE AT THE DEALERSHIP. WE ASKED IF THE VEHICLE WAS SAFE ONCE THE SYSTEM FAULTED & THE ELECTRONIC STABILIZATION & TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM ARE SHUT DOWN ( AS A RESULT OF THE FAULT). I ASKED THEM NOT TO GUESS WHEN THEY ANSWERED THIS QUESTION. DEALERSHIP HAS DECIDED TO KEEP THE CAR AN ADDITIONAL DAY FOR ADDITIONAL TESTING. THEY ARE TRYING TO GET THE SYSTEM TO FAULT WHILE UNDER TEST PROCEDURE. THE DEALERSHIP APPEARS TO HAVE EXHAUSTED ALL THE STANDARD PROCEDURES TO DETERMINE ROOT CAUSE. IT SEEMS SUBARU FACTORY MUST GET INVOLVED WITH THIS VEHICLE BEYOND THE DEALERSHIP TELEPHONE CALLS. OUR CONCERN IS A VEHICLE WILL BE RETURNED TO US IN AN CONDITION WHICH MAY PROVE TO BE UNSAFE...SINCE THEY HAVE DONE ALL THEY CAN ON THE TELEPHONE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WE PURCHASED OUR OUTBACK ON APRIL 28,2014. ON MAY 1, 2014 WE BROUGHT INTO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE IT WAS PULLING TO THE RIGHT. THEY APPARENTLY FIXED IT. THE NEXT DAY I WAD BACK AGAIN, THE CAR WAS STILL PULLING TO THE RIGHT. AFTER SEVERAL TIMES TRYING TO REALIGN THE CAR, IT WAS "FIXED". I HAD TO BRING IT BACK IN TODAY, IT IS PULLING AGAIN. THEY CAN'T FIX THE ISSUE BECAUSE NOW THEY SUSPECT IT IS A DEFECTIVE TIRE ISSUE. THEY ARE GOING TO REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES ON TUESDAY. I GET THE FEELING THERE IS SOMETHING MORE WRONG WITH MY CAR. *TR

THIS IS THE SECOND INCIDENT WHERE THE ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE LIGHT INDICATES THE BRAKE HAS BEEN SET & NOT RELEASED. THE CAR WAS TOWED INTO DEALERSHIP YESTERDAY (5/22/2014) FOR SAME REASON. DEALER STATED THEY SPOKE WITH SUBARU & WERE UNABLE TO FIND ANY REASON FOR THE FAULT. THEY STATED COMPUTER INDICATED THE BRAKES WERE NOT ENGAGED BUT THAT THIS SAME SYSTEM DOES DISABLE THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL WHEN THIS FAULT OCCURS. WE ARE VERY CONCERNED THE VEHICLE IS SAFE TO DRIVE DESPITE THE ASSURANCES OF THE SERVICE MANAGER ( [XXX]) THAT THE VEHICLE IS SAFE (NO WORRIES). THE INSTRUMENT LIGHT ON THE PANEL ALSO FLASHES "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AT THE SAME TIME LIGHT FLASHES INDICATING PARKING BRAKE HAS BEEN SET & NOT RELEASED. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR